For the economic sphere of the certificate, I chose to take Economics of Environmental Quality (ECON 2100). This course focused on the economic analyses of environmental issues, with discussions of current environmental quality problems, their underlying causes, and command vs. market-based solutions. Through studying legislation, market factors, and financials, I was able to learn about environmental issues from a quantitative approach. This was the first time I really began to understand how the environment is treated in a capitalist economy and the impact that domestic and international trade can have on our hopes for a sustainable future.
Before taking this course, I had experience with economics from a micro and macro perspective but never enjoyed learning about these subjects. However, this class built on concepts I already understood while simultaneously introducing factors like climate change, pollution, and social improvements which began to spark my interest. I was taking a real estate finance and business analytics class at the same time as this course so I achieved a truly interdisciplinary approach to learning about the financial impact of environmental policy.
I often found myself coming back to many of the topics that were introduced in this class as I continued through my major. My perspective on real estate and business had started to change changed from a profit-driven approach to one that incorporates and considers all stakeholders. I realized that our consumption of natural resources had to change and that renewable energy is the future of our society. Since this transition is going to happen whether we want it to or not, we must determine how to manage this change in our economy. I am confident that my takeaways from this class have helped me become a better steward of the environment and shaped my perception of a sustainable society.